Representatives of the LWF, ACPHR, and refugee-led organizations at the 85th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, Gambia. Left to right: Dr Alemu Asfaw Nigusie (Ethiopia); Jacky Ruth Akello (LWF Uganda); Faduma Abukar Aweis (Ethiopia); Robert Hakiza (Uganda); Commissioner Dr Selma Sassi-Safer, and Ndayisenga Jonas (Kenya). Photo: LWF/I. Toroitich
LWF and partners support contribution of forcibly displaced people to regional and global policies
(LWI) - “For too long, we as refugees in Africa have been left out of important conversations about our own future,” says Faduma Abukar Aweis. “Being part of these discussions here in Banjul gave me a sense of hope and belonging.”
Aweis and several other refugees supported by The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are participating in the 85th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, Gambia, 21-30 October. The LWF and its partners are among faith-based, civil society and non-governmental organizations prioritizing the human rights of refugees at the meeting.
“I think the African commission should work closely with governments and communities to ensure that displaced persons can access their rights safely and fully. We want our stories to be heard when policies are being shaped,” adds Aweis, who represents the refugee-led organization (RLO) Tomorrow is Better (TiB) in Ethiopia.
The LWF also hosted a side event on “Advancing Freedom of Movement for Forcibly Displaced People in the East and Horn of Africa” that featured the humanitarian response of its World Service country programs in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda. Speakers included the United Nations Special Rapporteur Prof. Siobhán Mullally and the ACHPR commissioner Selma Sassi-Safer, who engaged with RLO leaders and other participants on restrictions that hinder the free movement of refugees across the continent and policies that undermine their human rights.
Dignity of vulnerable and marginalized communities
In its refugee rights advocacy, the LWF works closely with RLOs, such as the Umoja Refugee Creative in Kenya, whose Executive Director, Ndayisenga Jonas spoke at the side event. “The right to meaningful participation is as important as the freedom of movement for us. As a refugee leader, I felt that my message was heard,” Jonas noted.
The right to meaningful participation is as important as the freedom of movement for us. As a refugee leader, I felt that my message was heard
Ndayisenga Jonas, Umoja Refugee Creative
Some of the issues cited by the refugee speakers included the challenges they face when they do not have the right to freely move and establish economic activities, difficulty in acquiring work permits, and restrictions to their movements within and outside their host countries.
“Freedom of movement opens up many opportunities for refugees,” said Chocho Isaac Fashingabo from Youth Voices Community, an RLO in Kenya. “It is important for us to directly engage with the African commission as a key human rights platform and also with governments, but we often lack the opportunity to do so.”
Participants in the LWF side event "Borderless Justice - Advancing freedom of movement for forcibly displaced persons" organized by the LWF at the 85th session of the ACPHR in Banjul, the Gambia. Photo: LWF/ I. Toroitich
Established under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the ACPHR is the primary human rights instrument for African states. The LWF has systematically engaged with the commission since 2020, pushing for the dignity of vulnerable and marginalized communities especially forcibly displaced people.
The African commission meets twice annually to examine the human rights situation on the continent and review the performance of signatories to the African Charter based on information and data collected from a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organizations.
